Olive is 15!! (And a half...I am SO late posting)

 

Olive's freshman year flew by! She had tremendous success at rowing during her novice season and thrived at school & socially, too! Starting with birthday pictures (5/7/2025) and looking back over the year...

First day of Freshman year in August, '24.

Rowing: The transition from middle school rowing to novice season is a big jump. Olive went from practicing 3 days a week and having two regattas a season to practicing 5-6 days per week and having 4-5 regattas per season. But, Olive LOVED it! She and her boats slayed this next step. Her novice 4+ won first prize at the Head of the Hooch regatta in Chattanooga, TN in November of '24. Her novice 8+ came in 3rd. This was a big deal and really set some positive momentum for the next regattas and spring season. (You can see some of her races on her YouTube channel.) During the Spring '25 season, Olive stroked her 8+ all the way to nationals!! There they had a 10th in the nation finish, which was quite amazing and a first for her team. But, Olive is a true competitor and had hoped for even better. She was awarded the MVP award for her squad!

School: Olive started Enloe Magnet High School in the fall of '24. She met lots of new friends, took a Tech Theatre class that gave her opportunities for involvement at school, and worked so hard that she ended the year with a 4.0 (unweighted). This was quite a feat, given that by the end of the school year, she was practicing for nationals twice a day in addition to school.

Friends: Olive has a great group of rowing friends, as well as folks she hangs out with at school. She attended the HOCO dance and Charity Ball through Enloe and Promgatta through her rowing club.

At Camp Cheerio for the last time

Family: We got to visit Uncle Chuck in Chicago this year! And visited Lake Cumberland with the Stemm's & Bratcher's! Plus we had a few beach days in NC!

Miscellaneous: Olive continues to be an avid reader and will run through books at record pace in spurts-- mostly when she is not super busy with everything else. She continues to crochet, be a leader at rowing and at school, and she still loves fruit and to swing in the backyard.

Olive got her permit on her 15th birthday and took off with driving! No fear!

And now for the birthday quiz!!

1. How old are you? 15

2. What makes you happy? Rowing

3. What is your favorite animal? Dogs

4. What is your favorite thing to eat? Pasta

5. What is your least favorite thing to eat? Potato Thyme Frittata

6. What is your favorite thing to do? Row

7. What is your favorite TV show? Temptation Island

8. What are you really good at? Rowing

9. What is your favorite movie? Legally Blonde

10. What is your favorite color? Pink

11. What is your favorite song? Sheila by White Reaper

12. Who is your best friend? Emma Jenista & Quinn Lynch

13. What do you and your Mom do together? Drive & Talk

14. What do you and your Dad do together? Remodel the office 

15. What is your favorite sport? Rowing

16. Where is your favorite place to go? Indiana and rowing and school, sometimes

17. What is your favorite book? Sythe by Neil Shusterman

18. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don't know